Nursery-nest



F. W. STOTLER AN R. H. JAMESON.

NURSERY NEST.

APPLICATION man APR; 10. m9.

L3?4,333u Patented Apn 12, 1921.

EVENTORJ 4546449 Mtg/M @142 L STATES PATENT DFFICE.

FRANK N. STOTLER AND RICHARD H. JAEVZISGN, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

NUB-SEBY-NEsT.

revises.

Application filed April 10, 1919.

T 0 all 107mm it may concern Be it known that we, FRANK W. Sror- Lnn, aresident of lVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, and RICHARD H. JAMISON, a resident of /Villrinsburg, inthe county of Allegheny and State-of Pennsylvania, have invented a newand useful Improvement in hlursery- Nests, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to nursery devices, and its object is to providea device in which an infant can be placed and safely held with outdanger of falling out or coming in contact with any hard object, and inwhich the infant can move around to some extent, and also lie down. Afurther ob'ect is to provide a device of this kind which is portable andalso collapsible, so that it can be readily moved from place toplace andcan be conveniently collapsed to pack in small compass for carrying fromplace to place.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view showing thedevice in assembled condition; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one ofthe radial base members; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the fixed oruncollapsible portion of the base; Fig. 4 is a sec tional viewtherethrough on the line Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one ofthe socket members for receiving an end of a horizontal brace; Fig. 6 isa plan view of the lower central base plate; and Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview showing the assemblage of a radial base member and the uprightconnected thereto.

in the drawings ll represents the body of the device, which is formed ofcanvas or other fabric or flexible material, and which is shaped to formin effect a basket or nest having a substantially fiat bottom and sidesrising therefrom either vertically, or slightly flaring as shown. Thisbody may be of various shapes, preferably beingfive sided illustrated,but obviously it may be formed with any number of sides,-preferably notless than four. The top edges of this body will be strengthened byhaving a heavy cord, small rope or wooden, ratan or steel rods inclosedin the hem thereof, and if de sired the various angles of the bottom maybe similarly strengthened. This body is suspended in a suitable frame ina manner to be entirely out of contact therewith at all points in orderthat the infant in the nest Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Serial No. 288,900.

cannot accidentally come into contact with any hard object. Variousforms of supporting frames may be employed, that illustrated showing aconvenient construction adapted to be readily disassembled and collapsedfor packing into small compass. This frame comprises a centrally rigidbase section comprising an upper base plate L, a lower base plate L, anda number of radial channel or socket members I, the number of the lattercorresponding preferably to the number of sides to the body or nest,live being shown. All of these parts are formed of thin plate metal, andare assembled with the inner ends of the. radial members I between thetwobase plates. The upper base plate L is provided with a centralopening having as many sides as there are members, for receivingupturned lugs J on the radial members, which lugs are afterward bentoverthe top of the base plate as shown in Fig. 3, and with peripheralnotches through which project upwardly extending lugs J on the radialmembers, and which lugs are afterward bent inwardly over the base plateas shown in Fig. 3. The lower plate L is provided with a number ofsubstantial triangular holes L for receiving downwardly projecting lugsK on the radial members, which lugs are bent sidewise onto the lowerface of said plate as shown in Fig. 4. In this manner the plates L and Land radial socket members i are conveniently, cheaply and securelyfastened'together.

The radial members I form channels which are open on their lower sidesto receive the inner ends of radial frame memers B, which are preferablyformed of wood, and which are inserted into these channel members untiltheir inner ends ex tend between the top and bottom plates L and L andare confined between said plates. These radial frame members .13, areprovided with upwardly projecting headed members, such as screws N,which slip into slots formed in the upper walls at the outer ends of theradial members I, and which form stops to limit the inward projection ofthe members l3 and also serve to hold the members B in the channels.

. These radial members B preferably have secured to their bottom facesnear their outer ends casters G or other means for enabling the deviceto be moved about. Collapsibly secured to the outer ends of the membersB,

such as by means of hinges M, are uprights C which may extend verticallybut preferably are inclined slightly outwardly and from the upper end ofwhich the body or nest A is suspended, such for instance as by means ofstraps F and buckles F", the latter being convenient means for adjustingthe lengths of the suspending members or straps. The uprights C arelocked in rigid relation to the radial base member B by means of platesH secured to the outer faces of the uprights near their lower ends andprovided with lugs or projections arranged to enter slots inplatesprings H secured to the lower faces of the radial members B at theirouter ends as shown in Fig. 7. This.

forms a secure'locking connection between the'radial members anduprights C and yet permitsthe uprights to be easily unlocked so as topermit the same to collapse onto the radial members by turning on thehinges M. Between adjacent uprights C are bracing members D, detachablyconnectedto the uprights in a convenient way, such as having their endsfitting into sockets D secured to the side faces of the uprights.

The bottom of the body or nest A is preferably connected to the frame byelastic or yielding members so that the bottomof the nest A will alwaysbeheld taut and yet maintain a safe distance from the uprights C. Asshown said body is connected to the frame by a number of helical springsE, ten such springs being indicated, one at each angle of the bodyconnecting the same with an upright and one midway on each side of thebody and connected to a horizontal brace D. The inner ends of thesesprings can be secured-to the fabric body in any suitable way, such'asby providing the springs at their inner ends with a hook as shown inFig. 7, and their outer ends can be also secured to the frame members inany convenient way, the drawings showing the outer ends of the springsformed with straight portions which extend through holes in the framemembers and are provided on their outer ends with eyes through which arepassed cross pins.

The device illustrated and described can be moved from place to place asdesired, and is readily collapsible so that it will pack into a smallcompass for carrying around from place to place. The body or nest isformed of flexible fabric, and is suspended in the frame entirely out ofcontact with the latter on all sides and also on the bot tom, thesuspending means being flexible so as to permit movement to the body butwithout any portion of the body coming into contact with the frame. Thebody is sufliciently roomy for the infant to move around in to aconsiderable extent, and is su'fiiciently high to prevent it fromfalling or climbing out.

Various modifications obviously can be made in the construction andarrangement of the parts illustrated.

WVe claim:

1. A portable nursery nest of the kind described, comprising incombination, a supporting frame having at least three uprights arrangedout of line with each other and adapted to rest upon a floor, a flexiblefabric body having a continuous bottom and sides, connections from saidupright to the upper edge of said body sides, said connections formingthe sole means for suspending and laterally spreading taut the body atits upper edge between pairs of said uprights, and connections from thebottom of the body to said frame forming the sole means for holding thebottom taut, said body afiording a yielding horizontal support andvertical side guard on and within which an infant may play in safety.

2. A portable device of the kind described comprising a collapsibleframe consisting of a central base member, radial members detachablysecured thereto, uprights collapsibly connected to the radial members,and a fabric body having a bottom and sides suspended between and heldtaut by the said uprights.

3. A portable device of the kind described comprising, in combination, acollapsible frame consisting of a central base member, radial membersdetachably secured thereto, uprights collapsibly connected to saidradial members, a fabric body having a bottom and sides, detachablemeans for suspending and laterally spreading taut the upper edge of saidbody from said uprights, and elastic members detachably connecting thebottom of said body to said frame members for holding the bottom taut.

i. A portable device of the kind described comprising, in'combination, acollapsible frame consisting of a central base member, radial socketmembers secured thereto, radial frame members inserted in said socketmembers and readily removable therefrom, uprights collapsibly secured tothe outer ends of said radial members, a fabric body having a bottom andsides,

means for suspending andlaterally spreading taut its upper edge fromsaid uprights, and detachable means connecting the bottom thereof tosaid frame members.

4. A. portable device of the kind described, comprising, in combination,a fabric body having a bottom and sides, a collapsible frame consistingof a central base member, radial members detachably secured thereto,uprights hinged to the outer ends of the said radial members, means forlook ing said uprights to said radial members in upright position, meansfor suspending and spreading laterally taut the upper edge of said bodyfrom the upper ends of said uprights, and means for connecting thebottom of said fabric body to the lower ends of said uprights, saidbottom being held taut by said connecting means.

6. In a device of the kind described, a frame including a pair of baseplates, radial socket members having their inner ends lo cated betweensaid base plates, lugs on said radial members in looking engagement withsaid base plates, and radial frame members inserted in said sockets withtheir inner ends confined between said base plates.

7. A portable nursery nest of the kind described, comprising acollapsible frame 15 adapted to rest upon a floor and consisting of acentral base member, radial members secured thereto, and rigid uprightsconnected to the outer ends of and adapted to collapse upon the radialmembers, and a fabric body having a bottom and sides suspended betweenand held taut by said uprights, said body affording a yieldinghorizontal support and vertical side guards on and within which aninfant may play in safety. In testimony whereof, we have hereunto setour hands.

FRANK W. STOTLER. RICHARD H. JAMISON. Witness:

G. G. TRILL.

